Tier-1 PV manufacturer Zhongli Talesun Solar expects to ramp it recently announced 500MW cell and module production plant near the end of year, which will produce PERC (Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell) technology for its new ‘Hipro’ 285W+ modules being launched at SNEC 2015.
Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy company Masdar and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology are to jointly launch a new R&D centre to support deployment of solar in the emirate.
centrotherm is launching the ‘c.REG’ conveyor belt furnace for monocrystalline p-type solar cell regeneration, which is claimed to achieve a reduction in light induced degradation (LID) from 6% to 1%, within less than a one minute processing cycle time. The company is showcasing the regeneration technology at SNEC 2015, being held in Shanghai, China.
Tempress a subsidiary of Amtech has developed an alternative atmospheric process called ‘High Density POCl3’ (Phosphorus Diffusion). The HD system benefits from the throughput advantage of small pitch, back-to-back, and long flatzone, while using improved chemistry and hardware upgrades to provide excellent uniformity and high efficiencies.
Following recent news that Holland’s Orange Solar will open a module factory aimed at “reviving” European PV manufacturing, BIPV specialist Onyx Solar will begin work on a factory in Spain.
Major US electricity producer NextEra Energy Resources has signed a 1.5GW solar PV module supply agreement with Hanwha Q CELLS, using its high-efficiency Q.ANTUM cell (PERC) technology produced in Malaysia and South Korea.